8 Ways to a Stress-Free Holiday Season!

The holidays can be an exciting and busy time for people, especially for the “hosts” of our family events and gatherings. With all the planning, preparation and parties, sometimes we neglect our self-care needs and end up feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Here are a few tips that I find helpful for enjoying a stress-free holiday season!

1. Breathe deeply. If you begin to feel tightness or constriction in your body and/or overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions, begin to notice your breath. Focus on lengthening your exhale and allowing whatever thoughts or emotions that are coming up, just to flow without trying to stop them. Breathing this way sends a message to your nervous system to switch       from the stress response, fight and flight, to the relaxation response, rest and digest.                                                                                                                            Continue to lengthen your exhale until you can feel a noticeable change in your body, mind and emotions. You can also add another dimension to this by using creative visualization and mantra. An example of this is to inhale peace and exhale gratitude while imagining a golden-white light moving in and out of your body. 
2. Stick to your routine. Keep your daily care and maintenance schedule going as much as possible, including your daily exercise and regular diet. When we can stick to what we know is good for us, such as yoga and exercise, we give our body and mind a positive boost of hormones that help us to manage stress and improve our mood.
3. Do less and enjoy more! Learning to say no. One of the challenges for people is often taking on too many things and feeling obligated to attend every holiday party that they get invited to. When that happens it is easy to get overwhelmed and feel stressed.  Learning to say no is a way that we can take care of ourselves and not increase our stress hormones. This may be a foreign practice for some, but learning to create personal boundaries in life is a must if we want to conserve our energy for what we need it for the most. 
4. Enjoy treats, let go of guilt! We all know it can be hard to resist the many tasty temptations that surround us during this time of year. Eating the extra cookie or piece of pie is not as harmful to us as the GUILT we experience afterwards. It’s no fun to eat the next piece of chocolate and then kick yourself afterwards for doing it! To avoid this cycle, have a treat cheat budget so- to -speak and put a limit onto how many extra treats you will have in any given situation. An example of this is going to a holiday party and saying to yourself “ I will allow myself to have between 3-5 indulgences that I may normally not have and I will enjoy them!” Set a number that is comfortable for you and experiment with the results.
5. Do your best and leave the rest. Doing our best at any given moment is all that is required of us. When we let go of needing everything to be perfect and pleasing everyone, we give ourselves the freedom to relax and just enjoy the fruits of our labor. Enjoy spending quality time with the people you love most without the added distraction of perfectionism. 
6. Do more of what makes you laugh! Laughing reduces the stress hormones, which in turn helps your immune system function better. Try putting on a youtube clip, a song, or think of a memory that invokes laughter and joy in you the next time you are feeling down or overwhelmed. Notice how that changes the mood almost instantaneously. 
7. Take Breaks. Make sure you have time to take in the simple pleasures in your life. Whether it is taking sips of your favorite beverage, reading a book you enjoy, listening to music, or going for a walk in nature, find easy ways to bring pleasure into your daily experience. 
8. Cultivate Gratitude. Is it not possible to feel grateful and stressed at the same time. When we start to focus on all of our blessings, it can have a noticeable affect on our mind and body. Practicing daily gratitude has many benefits including improved physical and mental health, enhanced empathy, reduced aggression and improved self-esteem. Gratitude is one of the quickest ways we can shift our mood and our perspective.  

From my heart to yours, have a safe and happy holiday season!
 
​Namaste, Natalie Marnica